In the East End
Chapter Four
She pulled the front door open,
“Oh for fucks sake!” She rubbed her eyes exasperated, she stepped to the side pointing her arm to the front room sighing “come in” He smirked as he walked past her, “Tea? Coffee? Arsenic?”
“Ava!” her mum scolded as she came down the stairs “Don’t be rude! Who is it?”
“DCI Gates mum just stay in the kitchen please, I’ll sort it”
She tried her hardest to sound reassuring, despite the sparks going off in her nerves, she had been backed in to a corner, knowing full well she couldn’t tell a Detective chief inspector to go fuck himself with her mother stood there, she suspected he knew that too that’s why he had turned up,
“Like hell will I!”
She shoved the girl out of the way , barging in to the living room,
“Evening Inspector Gates, everything okay?”
She asked sweetly, he smiled warmly, doing his best impression of a concerned police officer,
“Nothing to worry about Myra, we think we’re getting to the bottom of it now, it’s just we have reason to believe Ava was attacked the other morning, roughly 2:37am? Outside purple reign? Just a follow up and a little bit of reassurance for the poor girl”
He eyed the “poor girl” stood behind her mother, jogging bottoms hanging lazily at her hips and hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, she felt suddenly exposed, folding her arms over her chest, she glared back at him,
“I’m fine”
She hissed through gritted teeth,
“See I knew it Ava I bloody knew it! You need to grow up! Always out fighting and drinking!”
He cleared his throat,
“If you don’t mind me saying so Myra, we’ve not had a problem with Ava in years now, she was attacked this time” he winked at her, she looked at him confused, why was he covering for her? “we think it was a case of mistaken identity, you know how women can get, especially with a couple of drinks in them”
She grimaced as Ross laughed with her mother,
“Yeah, thankfully she’s my only one! After her dad cleared off she was handful enough!”
“She’s a good girl Myra, her dad clearly didn’t know what good he had when he had it” Her stomach lurched as he winked at her mother, “Anyway I hate to be rude but would you mind giving me and Ava five minutes to have a chat”
Her mum giggled,
“Of course! Not a problem, did you want a drink love?”
She rolled her eyes nauseated, a sudden wave of jealousy flashed over her,
“No thanks darlin’ I’ve not long had one”
Her mum nodded and left the room still giddy,
“Just shout if you need anything”
The door closed, Ava whipped her slipper off hitting Ross’s leg with it
“What the fuck are you playing at!”
“I told you Ava I need you at my side!”
“And I told you I’m not interested! you come here flirting with my fucking mother trying to get a response, don’t you think she’s been through enough? Twenty-four fucking years she’s been waiting for the pint of milk that my dad popped out for, and god knows I’m not easy to live with!”
“So, make it easier for her, you work for me you start earning, you start earning you get your own place and help your poor old mum decorate this place”
“My god Ross! Have you heard the shit you come out with?”
“Ava come with me, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised” he cleared his throat weaving his hands together “I tell you what, one trial job, you enjoy it and you’ll get paid and ill even fork out for a new outfit and dinner for you”
“And if I hate it”
“Then you’ll never see me again”
She nodded chewing the inside of her cheek. She closed her eyes thinking of what she could do with the money, she wouldn’t help her mum redecorate she’d get her a whole new place, they’d both have new wardrobes and her mother would never want for anything, she looked at him, his eyes fixed on her awaiting her response, with a violent lurch of her stomach, she sat next to him,
“Fine” she sighed “I’ll do it”
He smiled at her a menacing flash in his eyes, he turned to face her taking her hand in his, she found herself examining his face, he didn’t look forty eight, late thirties maybe, she suddenly became aware of him, pulling something out of his jacket pocket, he opened her hands placing a hand gun in her palm, she gasped at the sudden gravity of the situation,
“Ross! What the fuck! You can’t bring that in here!”
He smirked at her,
“This is your trial Ava, you need to drop this off to a bloke in Leicester square, you’ll know him when you see him, I can’t be seen there, I need you to take the tube, you meet him you give him the gun, he’ll give you some cash, you walk away, you come straight back to the club where I’ll be waiting”
“That’s an hour on the tube, it’s two stops over ground and underground”
“And I have complete faith in you” he stood from the sofa leaving her confused, he crouched down, tucking his fingers under her chin he kissed her forehead “Don’t let me down”
Her skin tingled under his touch, she saw him out, rushing up the stairs to stash the gun in her handbag.
She stood in the shower, her mind working overtime trying to piece everything together, she had to deliver a gun to a man she had never met before, she currently had a gun hidden away in her bedroom to go and hand over to a man who could quite easily be another copper, another copper that he’s set her up with to watch her go down, but if that was the case why did he kiss her? She felt as though she had met her match in Ross and she didn’t like the feeling of uncertainty, she put a lot of faith in a man she could only just tolerate and just hoped that it would work out for the best.
“Oh for fucks sake!” She rubbed her eyes exasperated, she stepped to the side pointing her arm to the front room sighing “come in” He smirked as he walked past her, “Tea? Coffee? Arsenic?”
“Ava!” her mum scolded as she came down the stairs “Don’t be rude! Who is it?”
“DCI Gates mum just stay in the kitchen please, I’ll sort it”
She tried her hardest to sound reassuring, despite the sparks going off in her nerves, she had been backed in to a corner, knowing full well she couldn’t tell a Detective chief inspector to go fuck himself with her mother stood there, she suspected he knew that too that’s why he had turned up,
“Like hell will I!”
She shoved the girl out of the way , barging in to the living room,
“Evening Inspector Gates, everything okay?”
She asked sweetly, he smiled warmly, doing his best impression of a concerned police officer,
“Nothing to worry about Myra, we think we’re getting to the bottom of it now, it’s just we have reason to believe Ava was attacked the other morning, roughly 2:37am? Outside purple reign? Just a follow up and a little bit of reassurance for the poor girl”
He eyed the “poor girl” stood behind her mother, jogging bottoms hanging lazily at her hips and hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, she felt suddenly exposed, folding her arms over her chest, she glared back at him,
“I’m fine”
She hissed through gritted teeth,
“See I knew it Ava I bloody knew it! You need to grow up! Always out fighting and drinking!”
He cleared his throat,
“If you don’t mind me saying so Myra, we’ve not had a problem with Ava in years now, she was attacked this time” he winked at her, she looked at him confused, why was he covering for her? “we think it was a case of mistaken identity, you know how women can get, especially with a couple of drinks in them”
She grimaced as Ross laughed with her mother,
“Yeah, thankfully she’s my only one! After her dad cleared off she was handful enough!”
“She’s a good girl Myra, her dad clearly didn’t know what good he had when he had it” Her stomach lurched as he winked at her mother, “Anyway I hate to be rude but would you mind giving me and Ava five minutes to have a chat”
Her mum giggled,
“Of course! Not a problem, did you want a drink love?”
She rolled her eyes nauseated, a sudden wave of jealousy flashed over her,
“No thanks darlin’ I’ve not long had one”
Her mum nodded and left the room still giddy,
“Just shout if you need anything”
The door closed, Ava whipped her slipper off hitting Ross’s leg with it
“What the fuck are you playing at!”
“I told you Ava I need you at my side!”
“And I told you I’m not interested! you come here flirting with my fucking mother trying to get a response, don’t you think she’s been through enough? Twenty-four fucking years she’s been waiting for the pint of milk that my dad popped out for, and god knows I’m not easy to live with!”
“So, make it easier for her, you work for me you start earning, you start earning you get your own place and help your poor old mum decorate this place”
“My god Ross! Have you heard the shit you come out with?”
“Ava come with me, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised” he cleared his throat weaving his hands together “I tell you what, one trial job, you enjoy it and you’ll get paid and ill even fork out for a new outfit and dinner for you”
“And if I hate it”
“Then you’ll never see me again”
She nodded chewing the inside of her cheek. She closed her eyes thinking of what she could do with the money, she wouldn’t help her mum redecorate she’d get her a whole new place, they’d both have new wardrobes and her mother would never want for anything, she looked at him, his eyes fixed on her awaiting her response, with a violent lurch of her stomach, she sat next to him,
“Fine” she sighed “I’ll do it”
He smiled at her a menacing flash in his eyes, he turned to face her taking her hand in his, she found herself examining his face, he didn’t look forty eight, late thirties maybe, she suddenly became aware of him, pulling something out of his jacket pocket, he opened her hands placing a hand gun in her palm, she gasped at the sudden gravity of the situation,
“Ross! What the fuck! You can’t bring that in here!”
He smirked at her,
“This is your trial Ava, you need to drop this off to a bloke in Leicester square, you’ll know him when you see him, I can’t be seen there, I need you to take the tube, you meet him you give him the gun, he’ll give you some cash, you walk away, you come straight back to the club where I’ll be waiting”
“That’s an hour on the tube, it’s two stops over ground and underground”
“And I have complete faith in you” he stood from the sofa leaving her confused, he crouched down, tucking his fingers under her chin he kissed her forehead “Don’t let me down”
Her skin tingled under his touch, she saw him out, rushing up the stairs to stash the gun in her handbag.
She stood in the shower, her mind working overtime trying to piece everything together, she had to deliver a gun to a man she had never met before, she currently had a gun hidden away in her bedroom to go and hand over to a man who could quite easily be another copper, another copper that he’s set her up with to watch her go down, but if that was the case why did he kiss her? She felt as though she had met her match in Ross and she didn’t like the feeling of uncertainty, she put a lot of faith in a man she could only just tolerate and just hoped that it would work out for the best.